'short-term' originates from the combination of 'short' and 'term', where 'short' meant 'brief' and 'term' meant 'a fixed period'.

'short-term' evolved from the Old English word 'sceort' and the Latin word 'terminus', eventually becoming the modern English word 'short-term'.

Initially, it meant 'a brief period', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.